Do you have questions about partnering with Ritter Insurance Marketing? We have some answers!
Below, we are answering some frequently asked questions on registering with Ritter, what it entails, our offerings to agents, and more. Use this table of contents to quickly navigate to sections you have questions about. Use the orange arrow on the left side of your screen to return to the top of this post.
General Questions
What is an FMO?
A field marketing organization (FMO) is a company that offers insurance products and services to insurance agents and agencies. Ritter is an FMO that specializes in the senior health insurance market.
To take a more in-depth look at FMOs, download our eBook!
How much does it cost to get started with Ritter?
Not a cent!
Why should an agent partner with Ritter?
Ritter has consistently grown since the company’s inception in 2005, including partnering with Integrity in 2022. We offer contracting with more than 120 quality carrier partners along with educational tools and events to assist agents. We also have the Platform, a high-functioning customer relationship management (CRM) system that includes our Medicare Quote Engine, a seamless online contracting system, proprietary call recording solution, and more. There are marketing resources available that can be agent branded in addition to a dedicated team ready to assist you with your selling needs.
Does Ritter offer products besides Medicare?
Yes. We offer Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage and a full suite of ancillary products including:
- Final expense
- Life insurance
- Dental, vision and hearing
- Hospital indemnity
- Cancer, heart attack, stroke
- Critical illness
- Long-term care
- Short-term care
- Annuities
Does Ritter charge for use of Shop & Enroll or the Ritter Platform?
No. Shop & Enroll is a free, consumer-facing enrollment and quoting platform that our agents have access to when they contract with a qualifying carrier. Our agents also have access to MedicareCENTER, which is another platform for enrollments, quoting, and client management.
The Ritter Platform’s collection of sales tools and resources is also free to our agents. All that is required is registration on our site. (Registering does not bind an agent in any capacity.)
Agents who self-register will not have access to the Contract Now feature until they have a conversation with a member of the Sales team.
If Ritter is closed or unavailable are there any resources that I can use for carrier-related inquiries?
Yes. Once registered, agents have access to our carrier pages that include phone numbers, details on how to submit business, commissions info, certification and supply ordering instructions, and more.
Processes
What is Ritter’s release policy?
We generally have an open release policy. Releases are postponed around the Annual Enrollment Period (AEP), from September 1 through December 31, since our contracting department is focused on incoming contracts and carriers are in their blackout period.
The release of recently contracted agents is postponed for six months from the appointment date; however, an agent can continue to write business during this time. Debit balances must be satisfied.
Once the release is processed agents are notified via email with a copy of the approval.
What do I need to do to transfer my contracts to Ritter?
You will need to obtain a written release from your current upline. If this cannot be done, you generally will need to wait six months without writing business.
How long is the contracting process?
Depending on the product type, it could take anywhere from two to three weeks.
Commissions
Does Ritter hold any of my commissions?
No.
Does Ritter work with agencies and offer higher level commissions?
Yes. We offer competitive above-street-level contracts. Eligibility for these contracts varies by product type and carrier. We have a dedicated Agency team to guide and support agencies with downline agents. The Agency team provides full back-office service support and sales/marketing support beyond contract eligibility.
How is Ritter compensated for the business that I write?
Ritter receives an override from the carrier. Overrides do not come out of our agents’ commissions.
Leads and Referrals
Does Ritter offer any assistance with leads?
Yes. You can purchase business reply cards (BRCs) from ShopRitterIM or access real-time leads through LeadCENTER. Throughout the year, we even run different incentives when agents can qualify for discount codes or marketing dollars. Periodically, we do get carrier-specific leads that we distribute to agents as the opportunities arise. We also offer assistance with marketing costs, usually up to 50 percent, for mailers, ads, sales events, etc. We have a quick and easy approval process in place.
Does Ritter have an agent referral program?
Yes. If you refer an agent to Ritter and they register on our website, you’ll receive a $50 gift card. They must be direct to Ritter, street level (no downline agents). There’s another opportunity for an additional $50 once that agent becomes contracted with one of our partnered carriers.
If I don’t like to write a specific product, am I able to refer that business to Ritter?
Yes. You can have your client reach out to our Call Center, and we will take care of the rest. We have an ACA referral program, which yields $50 per household referred. Additionally, we have a joint long-term care referral program, where agents can refer a client to our long-term care agent, and they will do all the work and split business if a sale is made.
Incentives
What types of training does Ritter offer to agents new to Medicare?
We have several monthly training webinars that agents can attend free of charge like New Agent Orientation, Medicare 101, and How to Build Your Book of Business.
We also have Knight School, which is a self-guided training experience that’s useful for new and seasoned agents.
Additionally, our dedicated Sales Technology team is available to assist with service support, and training on the available sales technology tools and resources available through Ritter.
Does Ritter offer any discount for AHIP?
No. Occasionally, we may have an incentive for AHIP reimbursement. Some carriers that we contract with offer a $50 discount if you use their portal to complete the AHIP training.
Does Ritter offer continuing education credits?
Often throughout the year, Ritter offers CE vouchers to agents for attending one of our webinars or in-person events. Ritter also has a partnership with WebCE that allows agents a discount on a pre-licensing course. CE credits can be purchased but the discount does not apply.
Does Ritter offer co-op?
Yes. It’s subject to approval but Ritter generally will pay up to 50 percent of the cost of an opportunity that an agent finds to promote themselves or while prospecting for new leads.
Does Ritter have any incentives or contests that I can participate in?
Yes. We have a Quest for Cash program! It’s a reward for our top Med Supp producers. Payouts are made to the top 20 agents each quarter and top three agents each year. We also promote carrier incentives.
Another Ritter incentive we run is RIMGO! It’s Ritter’s bingo-style game that will help you get to know our products, tools, and services and start submitting business faster! It will also help us get to know you and what products, tools, and services you’re interested in! The more RIMGO you get, the more credit you earn for [ShopRitterIM](https://shopritterim.com/ “ShopRitterIM).
Does Ritter offer E&O insurance?
No. However, we have a vendor, Calsurance, that you can purchase it through at a discounted rate.
Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Reach out to your Ritter sales specialist. We hope if you aren’t already partnered with Ritter, you take the leap and complete your free registration today!
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